Apparatus for regulation of winding machines, particularly for textile threads



Jan. 7, 1964 H. KABELITZ APPARATUS FOR REGULATION OF WINDING MACHINES, PARTICULARLY FOR TEXTILE THREADS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Dec. 18, 1956 FIG. I

Jan. 7, 1964 H. KABELITZ 3,116,888

APPARATUS FOR REGULATION OF INDING MACHINES, PARTICULARLY FOR TEXTILE THREADS Original Filed Dec. 18, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.2

United States Patent 1 3,116,888 APPARATUS FOR REGULATION OF WINDING MACHINES, PARTICULARLY FOR TEXTILE THREAD Hans Kabelitz, Monchen-Gladbach, Germany, assignor to Gehriider Sucker G.m.b.H., Monchen-Gladbach, Rhineland, Germany, a corporation of Germany Original application Dec. 18, 1956, Ser. No. 629,091, new Patent No. 3,028,110, dated Apr. 3, 1962. Divided and this application June 14, 1961, Ser. No. 117,058 Claims priority, application Germany Dec. 22, 1955 11 Claims. (Cl. 242-45) This application is a division of my application Serial No. 629,091, filed December 18, 1956, now US. Patent 3,028,110.

My invention relates to the automatic regulation of the Winding performance in winding machines, particularly for textile threads. It particularly relates to the regulation of thread tension and linear thread velocity in textile machines, particularly in coiling, warp beaming and other winding machines.

When winding stretchable material, particularly freshly sized arrays of textile threads, on winding beams or warp beams, care must be taken to maintain constant thread tension and linear thread velocity during the entire winding operation. However, since the diameter of the body of material being wound up upon the beam increases continuously, the speed of beam rotation must be gradually reduced correspondingly. Heretofore there were used for this purpose chiefly manually or automatically operated friction-disc transmissions, or regulating devices such as dancer rollers, or electric regulating devices, the regulation being in most cases controlled by means of feeler rollers that engage the material on the winding beam.

These prior expedients have inherent limitations. For example, the friction-disc drive must be designed to accommodate the smallest beam diameter, that is, for the greatest speed of beam rotation. The necessary reduction in rotational speed is obtained by braking, which involves dissipation of driving power. The friction losses thus occurring are considerable because the diameter of the winding that is being built up on the beam may increase up to five to ten times the initial diameter. The speed of beam rotation must not only be decreased in the same ratio, but must also be adaptable to the quality of the thread and must also permit operation at creeping or threading speed. Consequently, the ratio of rotational speed must be varied to a much higher extent than corresponds to the increase in winding diameter only.

For maintaining constant thread tension and for equalizing the rotational winding speed, it is common to use compensators, such as dancer rollers, which rest against the bight of a long loop of the material and can perform lifting and lowering movements, the Weight of these rollers being chosen, or varied, in accordance with the desired thread tension. Any change in the tension of the yarn or web forming the loop, as well as any change in the travelling speed of the material being processed in the machine, causes the dancer roller to become vertically displaced as the loop of material lengthens or shortens. This displacement is used for controlling the driving speed of the machine. Such dancer rollers, forming part of a compensator of the above-mentioned type, require a large height of construction when a large regulating range of the tension or travelling speed is required, or it is necessary to provide for a multiple loop similar to the roping of a multiple pulley which however involves large frictional losses and a reduced sensitivity of the regulating device. A sufficiently long length of the loop permits an increase in winding diameter within certain limits. How ever, it is not feasible to make the length of the loop so 3,116,888 Patented Jan. 7, 1964 ICC large, or to multiply the loops, so that the entire diameter range of the winding beam can thus be compensated for constant peripheral, that is linear, speed of the oncoming thread. In such cases, therefore, the dancer rollers have been substituted by feeler rollers which are in engagement with, and driven by, the material running onto the winder core or winder beam and which travel away from the winding axis as the winding of material is being built up upon the core or beam. This outward displacement of the feeler rollers controls the regulation of the winder drive. The displacement of the rollers thus engaging the material on the winder beam is not always uniform and lacks the desired sensitivity because the feeler rollers are displaced also when the winding becomes somewhat noncircular. Hence the feeler rollers may signal a change in driving speed. Such slight irregularity in the shape of the winding does not vary the thread tension or the linear thread velocity to such an extent as to call for a change in driving speed or a change in the transmission ratio of the driving transmission.

The above-mentioned use of a dancer roller for varying the thread tension, or more generally in a compensator for the above-mentioned purposes, has the further disadvantage that, if the regulating device is adapted to respectively different thread qualities by the addition or removal of loading weights acting upon the dancer roller, a stepless adaptation to variations in thread quality is not feasible in this manner because the addition and removal of loading Weights can be effected only in a relatively crude manner. On the other hand, if springs are used for setting the thread tension to the desired value, then these with insufiicient sensitivity, and hence not in a completely stepless manner, so that during winding operation undesired variations in tension will occur to a significant extent. This is disadvantageous in the further fabrication of the thread material.

A beam-speed regulation operating with an electric motor of variable speed for driving the Winder beam has an only slight overall efiiciency and is comparatively very expensive, due to the necessity of using several motors, speed-regulating, speed-controlling and other switching components and the like. Such an electric regulation has the further disadvantage that, where rapid stopping or accelerating of the winding machine is frequently required, the regulating performance often occurs with too much delay, so that the array of threads becomes either too slack or is over-tensioned for short intervals of time, both such occurrences being detrimental because the threads become entangled by slightest slackening or tear at already slight increases in tension. Above all, electric drive motors do not have such a large range of speed regulation as to be capable of taking care of changes in Winding diameter up to five to ten times the initial value, and of changes in transmission ratio up to about 30:1 for adaptation to the various occurring thread qualities and the sometimes necessary setting to creeping speed. In suc h cases, additional machines must be provided which not cnly greatly increase the investment cost, but also reduce the overall efliciency to a further extent, and impair the desired accuracy and reliability in maintainance of a constant thread tension.

It is an object of my invention to eliminate or greatly minimize the above-mentioned deficiencies of the known thread-winder compensator or regulating systems.

In one aspect, the invention involves a novel way of regulating the rotating speed of the winding beams. It is based upon the use of a driving transmission, preferably of the V-belt stepless type, which is controlled in dependence upon the change in diameter of the material wound up on the beam. The dependency of the beam rotating speed upon the winding diameter is determined by a program curve, or datum curve, whose time characteristic depends upon the properties of the material to be wound up, particularly the thickness. The variation of the transmission ratio is controlled by impulses of various types, for example hydraulic, electrical or mechanical. The magnitude, number or frequency, and/ or duration of the pulses are dependent upon the travelling path of a regulating member which is moved directly or indirectly by the steadily increasing diameter of the material being wound. These impulses operate, preferably through a motor, upon the regulator shaft of the abovementioned transmission ratio of the machine drive.

If a coarse regulation is sufficient, then the issuance of the impulses for regulating the winder speed can be effected by any of the known sensing members in response to displacement of these members, such as a feeler roller. Such members, however, are not satisfactory where a higher degree of reliability is required. This is so because the wound-up bodies of thread have non-uniform softness at different diameters and at different localities, depending upon the thread quality, so that the feeler roller is pressed into the winding some times to a larger and sometimes to a smaller depth. Therefore, in accordance with another feature of my invention, the winder speed is regulated by means of a horizontally arranged compensator, which is adjustable to respectively different tension values depending upon the thread quality and which controls the setting of an electric contact transmitter to issue current pulses to a regulating motor or directly to the regulator shaft of the variable-ratio transmission of the beam drive, the number or frequency, magnitude, or the duration, or several of these characteristics in combination, being adapted to the datum curve of the beam speed at increasing diameter of the winding.

According to another, more specific, feature of the invention, the electric contact transmitter is designed as a drum which is driven by the beam-driving transmission and is provided with contact segments or contact plates, the drum being axially displaceable relative to a stationarily mounted brush contact, or vice versa, such axial movement or relative displacement being eifected or controlled by the above-mentioned sensing member.

In accordance with a further feature of my invention, I provide a compensator whose sensing member is a dancer roller that is displaceable along: a short, substantially horiontal, path, the loop formed by the material to be processed being also guided in a substantially horizontal direction. The ends of the horizontally displaceable dancer roller or the displaceable means in which the roller is journalled, are connected by pulling means such as a rope, chain or strap, to a tensioning disc mounted on a revolvable but rigid, or torsionally stiff, shaft. The pulling member extends about the periphery of the tensioning disc, and the disc is subjected to a biasing force tending to. pull the dancer roller toward the tensioning disc. With such a unilateral loading force acting upon the dancer roller, a proportional counterbalancing of the forces acting upon the dancer roller is no longer necessary. The pulling force acting upon the dancer roller, which force is adjustable to any desired value, may either act at one or both ends, or in the middle, or at any other location of the torsionally rigid shaft.

Other objects, advantages and features of my invention will be apparent from. the following description.

The drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows schematically a winder drive equipped with an electric impulse transmitter, FIG. 2 shows a diagram relating to the same drive.

As shown in FIG. 1, the array of threads 1, comprising a large number of individual threads all located in a plane perpendicular to the plane of illustration, passes over a guide roller 2 and around a feed roller 3, which is driven at constant speed. The threads are then looped about a horizontally arranged compensator, provided with two stationary journalled rollers 40 and a horizontally displaceable roller 4, and are finally wound up upon winding beam 5.

The displaceable roller 4, located in the bight of a loop formed by the travelling thread, is journalled in a pair of slide blocks 4b, each of which is located at an axial end of the roller 4 and is movable along one of the slideways formed by two pairs of rails 4c and 4d. Each slide block 412 is connected by a chain or rope 4e with a rotatable tensioning disc 9 on Whose periphery the rope or pull members 4e are wound up. Depending upon the rotational setting of the disc 9, the pull members 4e act upon the compensator roller 4 in the sense required to hold the loop of thread taut under a force which produces a desired tension in the thread material dependent upon the quality of the thread. As the material is being Wound onto the beam 5, the winding gradually increases its diameter so that, for maintaining constant linear travelling speed of the material 1, it is necessary to gradually reduce the speed of beam rotation.

The tensioning force, which is preferably constant, is produced by means of a hydraulic piston 6 displaceable in a cylinder 6a, the latter being connected with an oil pump 7 through an adjustable pressure control valve 8 in a conduit 8a. The piston 6 when moved upwardly in dependence upon the oil pressure supplied from pump '7, imposes upon the tensioning disc 9 a pulling force in the counterclockwise direction. This is accomplished by means of tie means 611 looped around disc 9b. The disc 9, which is mounted on a torsionally stiff shaft 9a, pulls the compensator roller 4 toward the left. Alternatively, two discs 9 may be provided, one for each rope 4:2. The shaft 9aof the tensioning disc 9 is made torsionally rigid so that a single tensioning piston 6 is sufficient to guide or restrict the shaft of dancer roller 4 to parallel motion, the shaft axis remaining perpendicular to the plane of illustration.

As will be explained hereinafter, the movements of the tensioning disc 9 control a regulator shaft 17 of a steplessly variable-ratio transmission capable of continuous stepless variation. The output shaft 12 of this transmission carries a sheave or sprocket 12a which drives a corresponding sheave or sprocket 50 on the beam shaft- 5b through an endless belt or chain 50.

It will be recognized that a change in setting of the tensioning disc 9 controlled by the hydraulic piston 6 not only regulates the thread tension by acting upon the compensator roller 4, but also acts to vary the transmission ratio of the variable-ratio transmission that drives the winder beam 5, thus varying the speed of rotation of beam 5.

The input shaft 31b of the variable-ratio transmission, which shaft is in housing 30 and which drives the output shaft 12, is driven at constant speed by a belt or chain transmission 31a from a drive shaft 32 which also serves to drive the feed roller 3 at constant speed through a belt or chain transmission 3a. Shaft 32 is driven by a constant-ratio transmission in gear housing 134 powered by an electric drive motor 33 operating at constant speed. Motor 33 is operative during normal winding operation whereas, preferably, for creeping operation a second motor (not shown) may be provided for driving the shaft 32 at the much smaller speed desired for threading, fault-locating, and other setting-up operations.

During winding operation, the diameter of the winding increases. If the speed of beam rotation were constant, the thread tension would not increase, but the loop of thread material formed in the compensator would be shortened. However, any change in the length of the loop has the effect of regulating the beam rotational speed. This regulation is effected by the compensator roller 4 which acts upon the tensioning disc 9, in opposition to the adjusted and constant pulling force of piston 6. When the winding diameter increases so that the velocity of the thread running onto the beam tends to increase, the compensator roller 4 is moved toward the right by the shortening loop of material, and the tensioning disc 9 is turned clockwise. This has the effect of varying the setting of the regulator shaft 17 of the driving transmission. This changes the transmission ratio, so that the linear speed of the thread material running onto the winding beam remains constant. The regulating system according to the invention operates completely astatically, in contrast to the prior known weight or spring-controlled regulators.

While in the foregoing reference is made to a horizontal path of dancer-roll motion, it will be understood that the dancer roller may also be guided along a circular are or any other curvature as long as the path is approximately horizontal or provides a substantial horizontal component of motion.

The above described control of the variable-ratio transmission driving the Winder-beam is effected by means of an electric impulse transmitter. For this purpose the tensioning disc 9 is provided with a spur gear 39 which, when the compensator roller 4 is being displaced, moves a rack 49 upwardly or downwardly depending upon the direction of displacement of the roller 4. The rack 40 carries a brush contact 41 which is connected through one of the leads b to a supply line 60 through customary switches and protective devices mounted within a housing 48. A number of brush contacts 41 can be employed, to obtain multiple control.

The winder-beam drive shaft 12 carries a sprocket 12b for a chain transmission 120 which is connected with the shaft of a contact drum 42 through a set of bevel gears 12d. The contact drum 42 thus rotates at a constant rate of rotation or in synchronism with or at a speed proportional to that of the winder-beam 5. Synchronism is preferred. Drum 42 carries two contact segments 43 and 44 which are connected by stationarily mounted contact brushes 43a and 44a with respective pulse contact transmitters 45 and 46. The contact transmitters comprise each a pair of contact springs which do not engage each other when in normal position. The contact springs are mounted on a slider 47a, in insulated relation to one another. The slider 47a is frictionally displaceable on a guide rod 47 the friction being such that any displacement of carrier 47a is opposed by a braking resistance stronger than the resiliency of the contact springs. The dragging switch 45, 46 is effective to a different degree dependent upon the direction of motion of the regulating member. The dragging switch inherently operates so that, after the displacement of compensator 4 from original datum position, the issuance of impulses is immediately interrupted when the compensator returns only a slight distance toward said position.

The basic circuit diagram of the pulse transmitter contacts or dragging switches 45, 46, the drum contactor 42, and of the motor 49 employed for operation of the transmission regulator 17, is separately illustrated in FIG. 2. The pulse transmitter contacts 45 are serially connected with the drum contactor 42 through leads b with a control unit 48 whose power input terminals 60 are connected to a current supply line and which energizes the regulator motor 49 under control by two reversing contactors 61, 62 and a pole selector switch 63. The motor 49 is energized from line terminals 60 whenever one of the contactors 61, 62 is actuated and then runs in one or the other direction depending upon which of the two contactors is picked up at a time. The motor 49 is shown to be a two-speed induction motor which has two groups of stator terminals to run with respectively different numbers of poles so as to operate at one or another speed respectively depending upon whether the group of terminals connected to leads a or the group of terminals connected to leads a in energized at a time. 7 As a rule, one of the two speeds is twice as large as the other and is due to operation with one-half the number of field poles as are effective when the motor runs at the lower speed. In the illustrated position of switch 63, the lead a are energized, but the motor speed can be changed simply by changing the setting of switch 63 so that leads c are energized. It will be obvious that motors with more than two selective speeds can be used analogously if desired.

When during the winding operation the diameter of the winding is increasing, the compensator roller is pulled toward the right. An actuator structure 41 mounted on the bearing structure of roller 4 then engages the pulse transmitter and temporarily closes the pulse contact 45. During the displacement of compensator roller 4, the tensioning disc 9 is also actuated and lifts the rack 40. When the brush contact 41 is lifted into engagement with the segment 43 of the drum contactor 42, a current flows through pulse contact 45 and segment 43 through leads b and energizes the contactor 61 with the result of supplying current from line terminal 60 to motor 49. The motor starts running and turns the shaft 50 with the result of imparting rotational displacement to the regulator shaft 17 thus varying the transmission ratio of the drive that operates the winder beam. It will be noted that the phase reversing contactors 61, 62 serve for reversing the running direction of the electric motor 49, whereas the pole selector swtich 63 permits the selection of a different speed of rotation of motor 49 in cases where it is desired to change the setting of the regulator shaft 17 at different speeds.

After the above-mentioned operation has taken place,"

the compensator roller 4 is returned toward the left by the action of the tensioning disc 9. The contact springs 45 become separated from each other whereas now the contact springs 46 are placed into mutual engagement. Upon rotation of the tensioning disc 9 in counterclockwise direction, the rack 40 again moves downward until the brush contact 41 is again located, and at standstill, between the contact segments 43 and 44 of the drum contactor 42. Due to the separation of the contact springs 45 from each other, control pulses are no longer produced even though the brush contact 41 may still rest upon the contact segment 43. If over-regulation has occurred, that is if the speed of beam rotation has become too low, then the compensator roller 4 moves farther toward the left, and the rack 40 moves farther downwardly so that by engagement of the brush contact 41 with the contact segment 44 a circuit is closed through the now mutually engaging contact springs 46. This energizes the contactor 62 and causes the motor 49 to run in the opposite direction, thus again increasing, by actuation of the regulator shaft 17, the speed of rotation of the winder beam.

The particular design and details of the electric devices and circuit connections are not essential to the invention proper and can be given various forms. For instance, the pulse transmitting device may be equipped with contact segments 43, 44 of different length or width. They are preferably shaped in accordance with the datum speed curve of the winder beam, to control the number, magnitude and/or duration of the control pulses, said curve being affected by a physical property of the material. Furthermore, the strength of the impulses at different regulator positions can be made respectively different by a corresponding graduation of the current intensity or voltage, and the like. It will be understood that FIG. 2 shows the circuit diagram of the pulse transmitter only by representing basic components; if desired, intermediate relays between lead b and contactors 61, 62 as well as overload-protective, devices and conventional circuit breakers may be added.

The invention is not limited to the particular embodiments illustrated on the drawing. In particular, the devices for regulating the transmission ratio of the driving transmission may be given any dilferent known design. The compensator 4 may be provided with one or two limit switches which completely discontinue the operation of the machine when the compensator roller 4 reaches the end of the guiding rails and the constant tensioning hydraulic device can take any conventional form of constant hydraulic pressure or suction means. For instance, a tank having a constantly maintained head of water can be used.

The invention furthermore is not limited to winding machines for textile threads, but is also applicable, with advantage, to winding machines for fabrics, foils, webs of paper, peeled sheets of wood for the manufacture of plywood and veneer, and the like.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for Winding a material comprising a rotatable Winder device on which the material is to be wound, means including a motor and a steplessly variable speed ratio transmission device for the latter, to turn the winder device, means for supplying the material to the winder device, said means including a compensator device for controlling the tension of the material, the compensator device including a tensioning roller about which the material is looped, means to constrain movement of the axis of the roller to a transverse horizontal path, and means to apply a substantially constant horizontal tensioning force to the tensioning roller to move its axis in said path, the latter means comprising a fluid chamber, a movable element in said chamber, means to control the fluid pressure in said chamber, and thereby the force on said movable element, means operably connecting the movable element to the tensioning roller, the latter means being substantially unbiased by gravity and including a rotatable member operably connected to be turned by the movable element in said chamber to apply said tensioning force to the tensioning roller, and means responsive to the turning of the rotatable member to set the variable speed ratio transmission device to vary the speed of the winder device, the variable speed ratio transmission device including a ratio regulator, said means responsive to the turning of the rotatable member including an electric motor connected to set the ratio regulator, a pair of normally open pulse transmitter switch contacts disposed at opposite regions of the path of the tensioning roller to be closed thereby, and a motor reversing contactor circuit, each of the pulse transmitter switch contacts 'being alternately connected in and out of said circuit, said circuit including a rotary contact device turning in synchronism with the winder device and having two contact segments of difierent length and width on it, turning therewith and connected to the respective transmitter switch contacts, and having a third contact movable into contact with either of the said two contacts, the position of the third contact being determined by the turning of said rotatable manner, so that actuating impulses are transmitted at intervals to set the speed ratio, the frequency, duration, and direction sense of the impulses being controlled by said rotary contact device, the segments being shaped in accordance with the datum speed curve of the winder device, said curve being correlative with a physical property of the material.

2. An apparatus for winding a material comprising a rotatable winder device on which the material is to be wound, means including a motor and a steplessly variable speed ratio transmission device for the latter, to turn the winder device, means for supplying the material to the winder device, said means including a compensator device for controlling the tension of the material, the compem.

sator device including a tensioning roller about which the material is looped, means to constrain movement of the axis of the roller to a transverse horizontal path, and means to apply a substantially constant horizontal tensioning force to the tensioning roller to move its axis in said path, the latter means comprising a fluid chamber, a movable element in said chamber, means to control the fluid pressure in said chamber, and thereby the force on said movable element, means openably connecting the movable element to the tensioning roller, the latter means being substantially unbiased by gravity and including a rotatable member operably connected to be turned by the movable element in said chamber to apply said tensioning force to thetensioning roller, and means responsive to the turning of the rotatable member to set the variable speed-ratio transmission device to vary the speed of the Winder device, the variable speed-ratio transmission device including a ratio regulator, said means responsive to the turning of the rotatable member transmitting actuating impulses-at intervals to the transmission device, the frequency, duration, and direction sense of the impulses being controlled by said means, said means including an electric motor connected to set the ratio regulator, a pair of normally open pulse transmitter switch contacts disposed at opposite regions of the path of the tensioning roller to be closed thereby, and a motor reversing contactor circuit, each of the pulse transmitter switch contacts being alternately connected in and out of said circuit, said circuit including a rotary contact device turning at a rate proportional to that of the winder device and having two contact segments of different length and width on it, turning therewith and connected to the respective transmitter switch contacts, and having a third contact movable into contact with either of the said two contacts, the position of the third contact being determined by the turning of said rotatable member, said transmitter switch contacts comprising contact springs and being mounted upon a slider in insulated and spaced relation to each other, guide means along which the said slider is frictionally displaceable, thereby forming a dragging switch which lags when the tensioning roller reverses its displacement direction, displacement of the slider by the displaced tensioning roller being opposed by a breaking resistance stronger than the resilience of the contact springs, so that actuating impulses are transmitted at intervals to set the speed ratio, the frequency, duration, and direction sense of the impulses being controlled by said rotary contact device, the segments being shaped in accordance with the datum speed curve of the winder device, said curve being correlative with a physical property of the material.

3. An apparatus for winding a strand of material comprising a rotatable winding beam, means defining a strand path for supplying the material to the winding beam, said means including a compensator device for controlling the tension of the material, the compensator device including a tensioning roller about which the material is looped, means to constrain translatory displacement of the axis of the roller to a transverse horizontal plane, means to apply a substantially constant and horizontal strand tensioning force to the tensioning roller to translate its axis in said plane, power means to turn the Winding beam, a steplessly variable transmission means, capable of continuous speed-ratio variation, through which the power means turns said beam, the variable transmission means including a speed ratio regulator, means responsive to the horizontal displacement of the tensioning roller axis to set the ratio regulator, the later means transmitting actuating impulses at intervals to the transmission means, the frequency, duration, and direction sense of the impulses being controlled by said means, said means comprising a motor connected to set the ratio regulator, a pair of normally open pulse transmitter switch contacts disposed at opposite regions of the path of the tensioning roller to be alternately closed thereby, a reversing contactor circuit for said motor, each of the pulse transmitter switch contacts being alternately connected in and out of said circuit, said circuit including a rotary contact drum tuming in synchronism with the winding beam and having two contacts on it turning therewith and connected to the respective transmitter switch contacts, the contacts being shaped in accordance with the datum speed curve of the winder beam and controlling the number, magnitude and duration of control pulses and a third electric contact movable axially of the drum into contact with either of the said two contacts, the position of the third contact being determined by the horizontal displacement of the tensioning roller axes, said transmitter switch contacts comprising contact springs and being mounted upon a slider in insulated and spaced relation to each other, guide means along which the said slider is frictionally displaceable, thereby forming a dragging switch which lags when the tensioning roller displacement reverses its direction, any displacement of the slider being opposed by a breaking resistance stronger than the resilience of the contact springs.

4. An apparatus for winding a strand of material comprising a rotatable winding beam, means defining a strand path for supplying the material to the winding beam, said means including a compensator device for controlling the tension of the material, the compensator device including a tensioning roller about which the material is looped, means to constrain translatory displacement of the axis of the roller to a transverse horizontal plane, means to apply a substantially constant and horizontal strand tensioning force to the tensioning force to the tensioning roller to translate its axis in said plane, power means to turn the winding beam, a steplessly variable transmission means through which the power means turns said beam, the variable transmission means including a speed-ratio regulator, means responsive to the horizontal displacement of the tensioning roller axis to set the ratio regulator, the latter means including contact means for transmitting actuating impulses at intervals to the transmission means in accordance with the datum speed curve of the winding beam, the frequency, duration, and direction sense of the impulses being controlled by said contact means, said latter means also including a motor connected to set the ratio regulator, a pair of spaced pulse transmitter switch means disposed at opposite regions of the path of the tensioning roller to be operated thereby, a reversing means for said motor, the pulse transmitter switch means controlling the reversing means, the transmitter switch means forming a dragging switch which lags when the tensioning roller reverses its displacement direction.

5. An apparatus for winding a band of material comprising a rotatable winding beam, means for supplying the material to the winding beam, said means including a compensator device for controlling the tension of the material, the compensator device including a tensioning roller about which the material is looped, means to constrain movement of the axis of the roller to a transverse direction having a major horizontal component, means to apply a substantially constant horizontal tensioning force to the tensioning roller, power means to turn the winding beam, a steplessly variable transmission means, capable of continuous speed-ratio variation, through which the power means turns said beam, the variable transmission means including a speed-ratio regulator, means responsive to the horizontal displacement of the tensioning roller axis to set the ratio regulator, the latter means including contact means for transmitting actuating impulses at intervals to the transmission means in accordance with the datum speed curve of the winding beam, said curve being governed by a property of the material, the frequency, duration, and direction sense of the impulses being controlled by said contact means, said latter means also including a motor connected to set the ratio regulator, a pair of spaced pulse transmitter switch means disposed at opposite regions of the path of the tensioning roller to be operated thereby, a reversing means for the motor, the pulse transmitter switch means controlling the reversing means, the transmitter switch means forming a dragging switch which lags when the tensioning roller reverses its displacement direction.

6. An apparatus for winding a material, comprising a rotatable winder device on which the material is to be wound, means for supplying the material to the winder device, said means including a tensioning roller having a horizontal axis and about which the material is looped, means to constrain translatory movement of the axis of the roller to a transverse horizontal direction, and means not directionally biased by gravity to apply substantially constant horizontal force to the tensioning roller to bias its axis in said horizontal direction inwardly of the loop to tension the material, power means and steplessly variable-speed transmission means connected thereto, to turn the winder device, means governed by the said movement of the roller axis to determine the setting of the variable-speed transmission means, whereby the rotating speed of the Winder device is controlled in dependence upon the change in diameter of the winding on the winder device, said means not directionally biased and applying horizontal force comprising a fluid chamber, a piston therein, means to apply a constant fluid pressure on a force of the piston, and means operatively connecting the piston with the axis of the tensioning roller, the variable transmission means including a speed-ratio regulator, the said means governed by the movement of the roller axis determining said setting by setting the ratio regulator, the latter means comprising a motor connected to set the ratio regulator, a pair of normally open pulse transmitter switch contacts disposed at opopsite regions of the path of the tensioning roller to be alternately closed thereby, a reversing contactor circuit for said motor, each of the pulse transmitter switch contacts being alternately connected in and out of said circuit, said circuit including a rotary contact drum turning in synchronism with the winding beam and having two contacts on it turning therewith and connected to the respective transmitter switch contacts, and having a third electric contact movable axially of the drum into contact with either of the said two contacts, the position of the third contact being determined by the horizontal displacement of the tensioning roller axis, said transmitter switch contacts comprising contact springs and being mounted upon a slider in insulated and spaced relation to each other, guide means along which the said slider is frictionally displaceable, thereby forming a dragging switch which lags when the tensioning roller displacement reverses its direction, any displacement of the slider being opposed by a breaking resistance stronger than the resilience of the contact springs, the said means governed by the movement of the roller axis being adapted to transmit actuating impulses at intervals to set the speed ratio, and to determine the frequency, duration and direction sense of the impulses.

7. An apparatus for winding a material, comprising a rotatable winder device on which the material is to be wound, means for supplying the material to the Winder device, said means including a tensioning roller having a horizontal axis about 'which the material is looped, means to constrain translatory movement of the axis of the roller to a transverse horizontal direction, and means not directionally biased by gravity to apply substantially constant horizontal force to the tensioning roller to bias its axis in said horizontal direction inwardly of the loop to tension the material, power means and steplessly variable speed transmission means connected thereto to turn the winder device, means governed by the said movement of the roller axis to determine the setting of the variable speed transmission means, whereby the rotating speed of the winder device is controlled in dependence upon the change in diameter of the winding on the winder device, said means not directionally biased by gravity and applying horizontal force comprising a fluid chamber, a piston therein, means to apply a constant fluid pressure on a force of the piston, and means operatively connecting the piston with an axis of the tensioning roller, the variable transmission means including a speed-ratio regulator, the said means governed by the movement of the roller axis determining said setting by setting the ratio regulator, said governed means including an electric motor connected to set the ratio regulator, a pair of normally open pulse transmitter switch contacts disposed at opposite regions of the path of the tensioning roller to be closed thereby, and a motor reversing contactor circuit, each of the pulse transmitter switch contacts being alternately connected in and out of said circuit, said circuit including a rotary contact device turning in synchronism with the winder device and having two contacts on it turning therewith and connected to the respective transmitter switch contacts, and having a third contact movable into contact with either of the said two contacts, the position of the third contact being determined by the turning of said rotatable member, said transmitter switch contacts comprising contact springs and being mounted upon a slider in insulated and spaced relation to each other, guide means along which the said slider is frictionally displaceable, thereby forming a dragging switch which lags when the tensioning roller reverses its displacement direction, displacement of the slider by the displaced tensioning roller being opposed by a breaking resistance stronger than the resilience of the contact springs, the said means governed by the movement of the roller axis being adapted to transmit actuating impulses at intervals to set the speed ratio, and to determine the frequency, duration and direction sense of the impulses.

8. An apparatus for winding a material comprising a rotatable winder device on which the material is to be wound, means for supplying the material to the winder device, said means including a compensator device for controlling, the tension of the material, the compensator device including a tensioning roller about which the material is looped, and means to apply force to the tensioning roller to bias its axis inwardly of the loop to ension the material, power means and a steplessly variable speed transmission device comprising a speed-ratio regulator connected thereto to turn the winder device, means governed by movement of the axis of the tensioning roller to determine the setting of the speed-ratio regulator, whereby the rotating speed of the winder device is controlled in dependence upon the change in diameter of the winding on the winder device, said governed means comprising a control means including a rotary electric contactor rotating at a speed proportional to that of the winder device and having a plurality of segments and pulse contact means controllable by said segments during rotation of said contactor, and second power means operatively connected to said ratio regulator for setting said regulator, said second power means being electrically connected to said pulse contact means to be controlled thereby, and said segments having respective contact control contours determined by physical properties of the material, whereby said control means have an operating characteristic dependent upon said properties, and the said means governed by the movement of the roller axis are adapted to transmit actuating impulses at intervals to set the speed ratio, and to determine the frequency, duration and directional sense of the impulses, said rotary electric contactor providing a plurality of contact segments each of which has an individual contact surface outline determined by physical properties of the material.

9. An apparatus for winding a material comprising a rotatable winder device on which the material is to be wound, means for supplying the material to the winder device, said means including a compensator device for controlling the tension of the material, the compensator device including a tensioning roller about which the material is looped, and means to apply force to the tensioning roller to bias its axis inwardly of the loop to tension the material, power means and a steplessly variable speed transmission device comprising a speed-ratio regulator connected thereto to turn the winder device, means governed by movement of the axis of the tensioning roller to determine the setting of the speed-ratio regulator, whereby the rotating speed of the winder device is controlled in dependence upon the change in diameter of the winding on the winder device, said governed means including an electric motor connected to set the ratio regulator, a pair of normally open pulse transmitter switch contacts disposed at opposite regions of the path of the tensioning roller to be closed thereby, and a motor reversing contactor circuit, each of the pulse transmitter switch contacts being alternately connected in and out of said circuit, said circuit including contact device comprising a rotatable electric contactor providing contact segments each having different contact surface outlines determined in accordance with a property of the material affecting the datum speed curve of the Winder device and moving together with the winder device, said contact segments moving with the contact device and being connected to the respective transmitter switch contacts, and another contact means movable into contact with either of the said two contact segments, the position of the last mentioned contact means being determined by the movement of said tensioning roller, said transmitter switch contacts comprising contact springs and being mounted upon a slider in insulated and spaced relation to each other, guide means along which the said slider is frictionally displaceable, thereby forming a dragging switch which lags when the tensioning roller reverses its displacement direction, displacement of the slider by the displaced tensioning roller being opposed by a breaking resistance stronger than the resilience of the contact springs, the said means governed by the movement of the roller axis being adapted to transmit actuating impulses at intervals to set the speed ratio, and to determine the frequency, duration and direction sense of the impulses.

10. An apparatus for winding a strand of material, comprising a rotatable winding beam, means defining a strand path for supplying the material to the winding beam, a tensioning roller about which the material is looped, means to apply strand tensioning force to the roller, power means to turn the winding beam regulator means responsive to displacement of the tensioning roller to govern the speed of turning of the winding beam by the power means, so that the rotating speed of the winder device is controlled in dependence upon the change in diameter of the winding on the beam, a motor connected to set the regulator means, a pair of normally open pulse transmitter switch contacts disposed at opposite regions of the path of the tensioning roller to be alternately closed thereby, a reversing contactor circuit for said motor, each of the pulse transmitter switch contacts being alternately connected in and out of said circuit, said circuit including a rotary contact drum turning together with the winding beam and having two contacts on it turning therewith and connected to the respective transmitter switch contacts, and having a third electric contact movable axially of the drum into contact with either of the said two contacts, the position of the third contact being determined by the displacement of the tensioning roller axis, said transmitter switch contacts comprising contact springs and being mounted upon a slider in insulated and spaced relation to each other, guide means along which the said slider is frictionally displaceable, thereby forming a dragging switch which lags when the tensioning roller displacement reverses its direction, any displacement of the slider being opposed by a breaking resistance stronger than the resilience of the contact springs, the rotary contact drum providing contact segment means having a plurality of contact surface outlines each determined in accordance with a property of the material affecting the datum speed of the Winding beam.

11. An apparatus for winding a strand of material, comprising a rotatable winding beam, means defining a strand path for supplying the material to the winding beam, a tensioning roller about which the material is looped, means to apply strand tensioning force to the roller, power means to turn the winding beam, regulator means responsive to displacement of the tensioning roller to govern the speed of turning of the winding beam by the power means so that the rotating speed of the winder device is controlled in dependence upon the change in diameter of the winding on the beam, a motor connected to set the regulator means, switch contacts disposed at opposite regions of the path of the tensioning roller to be alternately closed thereby, a reversing contact or circuit for said motor, said circuit including a rotary contact drum turning together with the winding beam and having two contacts on it turning therewith and connected to said respective switch contacts, and having a third electric contact movable axially of the drum into contact with either of the said two contacts, the position of the third contact being determined by the displacement of the tensioning roller axis, the rotary contact drum providing contact segment means having a plurality of contact surface outlines each determined in accordance with a property of the material affecting the datum speed of the winding beam.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,773,709 Daniels Aug. 19, 1930 2,233,015 Kassell et al. Feb. 25, 1941 2,734,253 Suggs Feb. 14, 1956 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR WINDING A MATERIAL COMPRISING A ROTATABLE WINDER DEVICE ON WHICH THE MATERIAL IS TO BE WOUND, MEANS INCLUDING A MOTOR AND A STEPLESSLY VARIABLE SPEED RATIO TRANSMISSION DEVICE FOR THE LATTER, TO TURN THE WINDER DEVICE, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING THE MATERIAL TO THE WINDER DEVICE, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A COMPENSATOR DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE TENSION OF THE MATERIAL, THE COMPENSATOR DEVICE INCLUDING A TENSIONING ROLLER ABOUT WHICH THE MATERIAL IS LOOPED, MEANS TO CONSTRAIN MOVEMENT OF THE AXIS OF THE ROLLER TO A TRANSVERSE HORIZONTAL PATH, AND MEANS TO APPLY A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT HORIZONTAL TENSIONING FORCE TO THE TENSIONING ROLLER TO MOVE ITS AXIS IN SAID PATH, THE LATTER MEANS COMPRISING A FLUID CHAMBER, A MOVABLE ELEMENT IN SAID CHAMBER, MEANS TO CONTROL THE FLUID PRESSURE IN SAID CHAMBER, AND THEREBY THE FORCE ON SAID MOVABLE ELEMENT, MEANS OPERABLY CONNECTING THE MOVABLE ELEMENT TO THE TENSIONING ROLLER, THE LATTER MEANS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY UNBIASED BY GRAVITY AND INCLUDING A ROTATABLE MEMBER OPERABLY CONNECTED TO BE TURNED BY THE MOVABLE ELEMENT IN SAID CHAMBER TO APPLY SAID TENSIONING FORCE TO THE TENSIONING ROLLER, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE TURNING OF THE ROTATABLE MEMBER TO SET THE VARIABLE SPEEDRATIO TRANSMISSION DEVICE TO VARY THE SPEED OF THE WINDER DEVICE, THE VARIABLE SPEED RATIO TRANSMISSION DEVICE INCLUDING A RATIO REGULATOR, SAID MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE TURNING OF THE ROTATABLE MEMBER INCLUDING AN ELECTRIC MOTOR CONNECTED TO SET THE RATIO REGULATOR, A PAIR OF NORMALLY OPEN PULSE TRANSMITTER SWITCH CONTACTS DISPOSED AT OPPOSITE REGIONS OF THE PATH OF THE TENSIONING ROLLER TO BE CLOSED THEREBY, AND A MOTOR REVERSING CONTACTOR CIRCUIT, EACH OF THE PULSE TRANSMITTER SWITCH CONTACTS BEING ALTERNATELY CONNECTED IN AND OUT OF SAID CIRCUIT, SAID CIRCUIT INCLUDING A ROTARY CONTACT DEVICE TURNING IN SYNCHRONISM WITH THE WINDER DEVICE AND HAVING TWO CONTACT SEGMENTS OF DIFFERENT LENGTH AND WIDTH ON IT, TURNING THEREWITH AND CONNECTED TO THE RESPECTIVE TRANSMITTER SWITCH CONTACTS, AND HAVING A THIRD CONTACT MOVABLE INTO CONTACT WITH EITHER OF THE SAID TWO CONTACTS, THE POSITION OF THE THIRD CONTACT BEING DETERMINED BY THE TURNING OF SAID ROTATABLE MANNER, SO THAT ACTUATING IMPULSES ARE TRANSMITTED AT INTERVALS TO SET THE SPEED RATIO, THE FREQUENCY, DURATION, AND DIRECTION SENSE OF THE IMPULSES BEING CONTROLLED BY SAID ROTARY CONTACT DEVICE, THE SEGMENTS BEING SHAPED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DATUM SPEED CURVE OF THE WINDER DEVICE, SAID CURVE BEING CORRELATIVE WITH A PHYSICAL PROPERTY OF THE MATERIAL. 